Transom-lifter



(No Model.)

J. M. MADDOX. TRANSOM LIFTER.

No. 439,964., Patented Nov. 4, 1890.

INVENTOH.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES M. MADDOX, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

TRANSOM-LIFTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,964, dated November 4, 1890.

Application filed February 25, 1890. Serial No. 341,697- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES M. MADDOX, of Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented a new and Improved Transom Attachment, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in transom-operating devices; and the object of my invention is to provide a simple, convenient, and efficient device by which a transom may be easily operated from the floor, by means of which the transom may be placed at any desired angle, and by means of which the transom will be always locked so that it cannot be operated from the outside of the room.

To this end my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts, that will be hereinafter fully described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a door and transom fitted with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an inside elevation of the rack and its connection by which the transom is retained in a desired position. Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the rack and s1ide-b1ock that moves thereon, and of the 0perating-knob; Fig. 5, a plan of the same, partly in section; Fig. 6, a sectional plan of the operating-knob and slideblock; Fig. 7, a detailed perspective view of 1 the crank and its connecting-rod, by which the transom is tilted; Fig. 8, a front elevation of the face-plate which is attached to the transom-frame opposite one end of the transom; Fig. 9, a view of a corresponding plate which is attached to one end of the transom opposite the frame-plate; Fig. 10, a vertical section of the two plates, showing their position in relation to each other when the tran. som is closed; Fig. 11, a detailed view in elevation of the transom-plate at the other end of the transom; Fig. 12, a front elevation of the opposite frame-plate; and Fig. 13, a vertical section of the two plates when the transom is in closed position.

The transom A is of the usual construction and is placed in position above a door; but instead of being hung upon hinges or pivoted upon central pint-les in the usual manner it is provided at each end near the top with plates 0. and a, which are countersunk in the end of the transom and are suitably attached thereto, and by means of which the transom is pivoted, as hereinafter described.-

The plate a is provided with a projecting pintle b, which projects into and may turn in the recess (1 of the plate 6, which is attached to the transom-frame opposite the plate a. The plate e is of about the same size and shape as the plate a, and the recess d therein may be provided with a laterallyextending slot (1' to enable the pintle b to be more easily inserted therein. The plate a is attached to the opposite end of the transom at the same height thereon as the plate a. It is countersunk in the transom, is suitably attached thereto, and is provided with a recess f, having a circular central portion and diametrically-opposite slots extending laterally therefrom to receive the end of the crank B, which is provided at the end with laterally-extending bosses g, so that the end of the crank will fill the circular portion of the recess f, and the bosses g thereon will fit into the lateral slots thereof.

Attached to the transom-frame opposite the plate a is a corresponding plate h, which has a recess f, similar in shape to the recess f of the plate a, but slanting at a different angle, so that the recesses will not be in a parallel line and allow the crank B to get out of position therein.

The end of the crank B is passed through a hole in the transom-frame from the inside thereof, is pushed through the recess f of the plate h and into the recess f of the plate a. The round portion of the crank will thus be able to turn in the circular part of the recess f, the upper part of the plate h being thickened for that purpose, and the bosses gthereon will fit into the laterally-extending slots of the recess f in the plate a, so that when the crank is turned the transom will be tilted. The transom A will thus be supported by the pintle b and the crank B, and it may be tilted by the latter and will be pivoted by the former. The crank B extends upwardly inside the transom-frame and is provided with a bent end B, to which is pivoted the rod D by the loop '5.

The rod D extends downwardly inside the transom and door frames, and its lower end projects into a recess F of the slide-block F, to which it is attached.

The slide-block F is provided upon its inner side with two diametrically-opposite rectangular bosses j, which fit between the teeth k of the rack E, and the block is operated as described below. The rack E is provided with a flange upon the front side thereof, which is sunk into the outer side of the doorframe and is suitably attached thereto. It is provided with a slot E,which extends nearly from top to bottom thereof, and which is oillarged at the lower end, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the shank of the knob H may be easily inserted therein.

The rack E, fixed vertically in a slot in the door-frame, is provided upon each side of the slot E with raised rectangular teeth It and with a longitudinal shoulder or slide Z between the slot and the teeth. The knob H is provided with a flattened shoulder H, which fits and may slide upon the smooth outer face of the rack E, with a hollow projecting shank H which projects through the slot E of the rack E, and with inner shoulders H ,which fit upon the shoulderZ of the rack and may slide thereon. The outer end of the knob His recessed, as shown, the recess extending inwardly to the hollow shank H and being separated therefrom by a terminal shoulder Z.

The slide-block F and knob H are connected by a shank F which is attached to the slideblock and which projects through the hollow shank H of the knob into the outer recess thereof. The end of the shank F isscrewthreaded and isscrewed into the button J, which is provided with a similar internal screw-thread, and which fits into the outer recess of the knob l-I.

Between the inner end of the button J and the shoulder Z of the knob is a spiral spring m, which is coiled around the shank F and the ends of which bear against the shoulder Z of the knob H and the inner end of the button J. The spring will thus press the button out, and by means of the shank E the slideblock F will be held closely. against the rack E, so that the bosses j of the slide-block will fit between the teeth k of the rack, and the transom will be locked in position.

The device is operated and the transom positioned by pressing upon the button J and sliding the knob vertically in the rack E. When the button J is pressed, it will push the shank F and slide-block F inwardly and remove the bosses j of the slide-block from engagement with the teeth of the rack, and the knob H may then be moved vertically, as

the shoulders H thereof will slide freely upon the shoulder Z of the rack. When the knob H is moved, the slide-block F, being attached thereto, will be moved also, and this, by means of the rod D, will actuate the crank B, causing it to turn in the plate 71, and as the end of the crank is engaged by the slotted plate a in the end of the transomA it will tilt the transom. Upon removing the pressure from the button J the spring m will force the button outwardly and draw the bosses j and teeth It into engagement, thus locking the transom in position. It will thus be seen that the transom can only be operated by means of the knob H and button J, which can only be reached from the interior of a room.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the knob H, button J and the plain face of the rack E will be the only parts of the device exposed to view, and these parts may be ornamented in any desired manner.

I have shown the transom pivoted near the top, and have shown the rack E and connections in a certain position; but it is evident that the transom may be pivoted in any desired manner, and that the rack and connections may be applied to either side of the door, and at any convenient height, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

' 1. The combination, with the longitudinally-slotted plate E, having racks k on its inner side at opposite sides of the slot, and longitudinal ribs or ways Z Z along the walls of said slot, of the sliding block F on the inner side of the plate and provided with teeth 3' j and a shank E the centrally-bored knob H, having a contracted hollow shank H passing through the slot and having lateral projections engaging the ribs or ways Z Z, and a fiat shoulder H to bear on the outer face of the plate, the said shank F extending through the tubular shank H into the bore of the knob and. provided at its outer end with a push-button J, and a spring within said bore and pressing the button outwardly to hold the teeth j in engagement with said racks, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a frame and transom, of the pivoting and operating devices therefor, consisting in the slotted plate e and plate at, having a trunnion b to turn in said slot, a plate a for the opposite end of the transom, provided with a slot f, the crank B, having projections g g to engage said slot f, and an outward-bent operating end B, substantially as set forth.

JAMES M. MADDOX.

IIO 

